June16, 2017

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar today released the following statement on President Trump’s announcement on Cuba policy:

“President Trump’s announcement today is not a total roll back, but it is a setback in U.S. – Cuba relations at a time when 73 percent of Americans want more engagement with Cuba, not less. These changes will disadvantage our businesses and undermine American tourism, which will also hurt the Cuban people. Earlier today I joined Minnesota officials and business leaders who are traveling to Cuba next week to send the message that America wants to continue doing business in Cuba. We need to build on the bipartisan momentum we have created by restoring relations with Cuba, not make it harder for Americans to travel and do business there.”

In May 2017, Klobuchar and Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) led a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers to introduce major legislation to lift the Cuba trade embargo. The Freedom to Export to Cuba Act of 2017 would eliminate the legal barriers to Americans doing business in Cuba, paving the way for new economic opportunities for American businesses and farmers by boosting U.S. exports and allow Cubans greater access to American goods. The legislation repeals key provisions of previous laws that block Americans from doing business in Cuba, but does not repeal portions of law that address human rights or property claims against the Cuban government. Klobuchar also recently led a group of senators in urging the U.S. Department of State to maintain economic and political engagement with Cuba.